Earlier this week, former Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) companion Katy Manning, known to fans as UNIT agent Jo Grant, visited the set of Doctor Who. She and current Doctor, Peter Capaldi, had a blast re-enacting some scenes from her time with the series. The 67-year old actress truly enjoyed her time with the 12th Doctor, and it showed, calling him “one of the most charming men I’ve ever met.”
Who Says You Can’t Go Home?
I can’t believe how happy these pictures made me feel. It struck me how right they looked together – Doctor and companion – together again. Thus proving that Peter Capaldi is the man for the job.
Katy loved returning to her old (if renovated) home, the TARDIS, and getting treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming Christmas special. “I know is going to be the best Xmas DW special!” She said.
Days Gone By…
My only regret, these pictures weren’t part of an on-screen adventure with the 12th Doctor. I miss the late Lis Sladen (former companion Sarah Jane Smith) terribly and the last time we saw Katy in the “Whoniverse” was when she reprised her role as Jo Grant alongside Lis and 11th Doctor Matt Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode Death of the Doctor. I’m still holding out hope for a classic companion to return to the series… A girl can dream. I wonder what ever did happen to Jo Grant and her son…? But I digress… as I often do…
And as The 10th Doctor (David Tennant) says to The 5th (Peter Davison) in Time Crash, “all my love to long ago…”We sincerely hope to see Katy on board the TARDIS again soon.
NEXT UP…
In the meantime, Series 8 continues. Stay tuned for tonight’s episode of Doctor Who – The Caretaker.
Airing tonight on BBC One at 8:30pm and at 9pm on BBC America.
Apologies for the late, post Labor Day check-in, fellow Whovians, but here are my thoughts on last week’s episode of Doctor Who:Into the Dalek – just in under the wire – written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat.
Not Just for Kids… Many fans of the series, like myself, grew up with Doctor Who (we’re loyal to the last). Things that frightened us (or made us hide behind the couch) as children, no longer scare us. Suspending our disbelief was a lot easier when we were young. And while it’s true, kids are more sophisticated now, and special effects have evolved, there are certain truths that reach deep inside and take hold of us all… shaking us to the core.
There has been some debate whether or not Doctor Who is a kid’s show. From the outset, Doctor Who was designed to be, and still is, a family show – meant to appeal to both children and adults for different reasons. It is meant to entertain us, frighten us, and move us… meant to make us feel… whether we want to or not. I doubt there was anyone who didn’t shed a tear when Adric died (Earthshock),even if you had mixed feelings about him. That last shot of his shattered Badge for Mathematical Excellence lying on the ground, as silent credits roll by, still stirs strong feelings in me years later.
I grew up during the Philip Hinchcliffe era and was introduced to Doctor Whovia episodes like The Talons of Weng Chiang and The Brain of Morbius. With an overdeveloped fondness for Hammer films, I am particularly predisposed to enjoy the darker, more horrific side of the Whoniverse.
That being said, Doctor Who always finds a way to get me, even now… because at its core, it wrestles with moral dilemmas we all wrestle with. It moves us deeply on an emotional level. Doctor Who can hit you hard, usually when you least expect it.
In spite of The Doctor’s vast age, Death is always at his shoulder, his constant companion. As we got older, we started to realize our hero is a rather complex man with demons and secrets (beyond his birth name) of his own. He lives more in the gray than we’d like to admit, and with a darkness in his hearts even he would rather not look too closely at. Perhaps that’s why he is always running…
Nature vs. Nurture… Into the Dalek resonates for me on an emotional level and harkens back to earlier episodes of Doctor Who. Reminiscent of the themes presented in Genesis of the Daleks (Tom Baker – The 4th Doctor), Resurrection of the Daleks (Peter Davison – The 5th Doctor) and Dalek (Chris Eccleston – The 9th Doctor), and the moral dilemmas therein.
The Doctor struggles in all three stories with his hatred of the Daleks, and with the right course of action take. Whichever way he turns, even the audience is uncertain. Should he have aborted the development of the Daleks in Genesis, or killed Davros in Resurrection? He chose the to take the moral high ground in both those stories, only to be faced with a surviving Dalek after the Time War in Dalek. He had to have wondered then if his inability to take action on those previous occasions could have prevented that fateful day, leading to the Fall of Arcadia on Gallifrey, and the destruction of his world.
These themes come up again in Into the Dalek. The Doctor is forced to help an injured enemy, and in doing so, it challenges him look into to the depths of his own soul. Is there such a thing as absolute evil? Is everyone, even a Dalek, capable of redemption? Can there be such a thing as good Dalek? Or, no matter how much it changes, at its core, does it remain the same – a hate-filled killing machine, bent on destruction? When it comes down to it, the real question seems to be – is The Doctor a good man? He wonders himself and that question troubles him. Even his dear friend and carer, Clara, is not certain…
Samuel Anderson as Coal Hill School teacher Danny Pink
Not the Tin Dog! I like Clara feisty. No longer the fawning girl with a crush, she puts The Doctor in his place when he gets out of hand. She isn’t afraid to slap some sense into him, much like former companion Donna Noble (played by the indomitable Catherine Tate). Clara is more than his carer, she’s become his moral compass. Because as Donna once observed, The Doctor shouldn’t travel alone – he needs someone – someone to keep him grounded, someone to hold onto, and keep him from slipping deeper into the void.
Our brief introduction to Danny Pink(played by Samuel Anderson) was promising. A fellow teacher at Coal Hill School (the same school Susan, The Doctor’s granddaughter, attended on Earth) working with Clara, Danny is definitely likable. There is a mutual attraction between Danny and Clara, but male love interests tend to take a backseat to The Doctor. Hopefully he won’t suffer the fate of previous companions Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Mickey(Noel Clarke) – chasing after women who appeared to love The Doctor more.
Given what little we know of Danny’s past, he was in the military and he suffered a great loss. It is likely, knowing how The Doctor feels about soldiers, there’ll be friction when they finally meet. However, there was friction with The Brigadier (played by the late, great Nicholas Courtney) too, and he went on to become one of The Doctor’s greatest friends and allies.
Perhaps Danny will take on the more traditional role some early companions filled (like Ian, Steven, Ben and Jamie). Once The Doctor(s) started growing younger, male companions started to to become somewhat obsolete, often sidelined, landing themselves in dungeons (like Mark Strickson’s Vislor Turlough, whom I quite liked), or dead (like Matthew Waterhouse’s Adric). As a side note, I would be fascinated to see a companion like C’Rizz (portrayed by Conrad Westmaas in the 8th Doctor Big Finish Audios) on screen.
Zawe Ashton as Journey Blue
Clearly, there is a traumatic event in Danny’s military career that he doesn’t want to talk about, something that still haunts him, and we’ll learn more as his story comes to light. The chemistry between Danny and Clara seemed a bit rushed and I couldn’t help but get a Coupling vibe from their interaction – after all, Moffat and his wife, Sue Virtue, produced Coupling (which reminds me, I still want to see Richard Coyle on Doctor Who, but I digress).
Even though I quite liked Danny, I think it would have been interesting to see a female soldier like Journey Blue (portrayed by Zawe Ashton) on board the TARDIS to challenge The Doctor at every turn. For some reason, I can’t help but recall Brigadier Winifred Bambera from Battlefield – the first female soldier to make a noteworthy appearance in the Whoniverse. I wonder what she’s up these days? But I digress… as I often do…
The Mysterious Missy… There have been so many theories about her identity at this point, I’d almost rather not venture a guess. I’ve heard everything from The Master to The Rani (I would like to see her return), to Romana (another character I’d welcome from the Classic era) to an embodiment of the TARDIS herself, but with Doctor Who anything is possible, so I won’t lay odds just yet. Keeping my cards close to the vest, but let’s just say I feel like we’ve been in that Garden before…
Final Thoughts… I’ve observed that Capaldi exudes the irritability of Harntell, with the alien madness of Tom Baker. Truth is, I see shades of all the Doctors – as it should be – and Capaldi, as a fan of the series himself, clearly embodies the spirit of all that has gone before.
As he was quoted as saying in an interview during the recent Doctor Who World Tour:
“I think this show’s kind of in my DNA. I think it’s sort of part of me. So I think I can recognize when it’s right and when it’s not right.” – Peter Capaldi
That being said, I rather enjoyed Into the Dalek. It was a good follow up to the season opener. We gained more insight into The Doctor’s personality post-regeneration and the demons dwelling within him. I’m eager to learn more as future episodes unfold.
NEXT UP: This week The Doctor meets the legendary Robin Hood (Or does he?) in Robots of Sherwood, guest starring Tom Riley from Da Vinci’s Demons. I can’t wait for this one.
I promise, I won’t say “all roads lead back to…” Ooops!
But here is a great photo of Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in Outlander), author Diana Gabaldon (the lucky lady pictured in the middle) and Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who). Frazer Hines was Diana’s inspiration for her book Outlander.
Frazer will be appearing in Episode 15 of Outlander as Sir Fletcher Gordon, governor of Wentworth Prison. Can’t wait to see him grace our screens again.
“He’s the doctor. He has walked this Universe for centuries untold. He has seen stars fall to dust… You might as well FLIRT with a mountain range.” – Madame Vastra
Before diving into the Doctor WhoSeries 8 openerDeep Breath, let me get this declaration out of the way — Peter Capaldi IS The Doctor and I will tell you why.
FAMILIAR FACES
Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax all make their welcome return in Deep Breath, Peter Capladi’s debut episode as the 12th (or is it 13th?) Doctor, to help ease companion Clara (and the fans) through The Doctor’s transition from The 11th Doctor (Matt Smith). As many of us remember, The Doctor in a regeneration crisis can be quite a predicament.
WHERE’S A ZERO ROOM WHEN YOU NEED ONE?
I can’t recall even one time when The Doctor had an easy time of it post-regeneration(unlike Romana in Destiny of the Daleks). It takes time for him to stabilize both mentally and physically. As the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) tells his companions, it takes a little time for his “dendrites to heal”. And of course, Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is no exception. He struggles with everything — his memories of his friends, how they look, how they speak, their appalling accents! That’s right… because apparently, not only do most planets have a North, but they have a Scotland too (picture me saying it with a Scottish accent, far more amusing that way).
“You’ve redecorated… I don’t like it…” – Clara Oswald
Even though a regeneration can be seen as a renewal, poor, traumatized Clara (Jenna Coleman) seems quite skeptical this is her Doctor (in spite of meeting his earlier incarnations – including John Hurt’s War Doctor). Her assumption is, The Doctor should start out young. Had she met the first four Doctors, she wouldn’t have been in such shock (but then she had met them, when she was splintered across time and couldn’t remember those encounters).
As Madame Vastra (played by Neve McIntosh) points out, The Doctor is not a young man. He’s lived for centuries, millennia, in fact. The Gallifreyan is over 2,000 years old (if he even remembers his age correctly by this point) by the time we see him in Deep Breath. He has lived many lives and has worn many faces. It is fair to say The Doctor is far from young.
Still, Clara needs convincing… but that’s not The Doctor’s only problem… Continue reading →
Ok, now I feel vindicated when I say “all roads lead back to Doctor Who“. For those who haven’t guessed by now, the longest-running British science fiction series Doctor Who, happens to be my all-time favorite TV series. Further evidence supporting my “all roads” claim came today in the form of the latest casting news for the time travel drama Outlander.
A FAN FAVORITE RETURNS
I was excited to hear that Frazer Hines, best known for his enduring portrayal as Jamie McCrimmon on Doctor Who, was cast on the new Starz series Outlander, as Sir Gordon Fletcher, the English warden of Wentworth Prison in Scotland.
YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD SCOT DOWN
James Robert McCrimmon (Jamie to his friends) joined The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) on board the TARDIS after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Jamie valiantly fought Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti and Ice Warriors alongside the Time Lord – when he and co-stars Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield) and later, Wendy Padbury (Zoe Herriot), weren’t running for their lives that is.
One of the few male companions to grace the TARDIS, Jamie endeared himself to fans as the brave, kilt-wearing young Highlander. Inquisitive, fiercely loyal and devoted to The Doctor, to this day, Jamie is considered one of Doctor Who’s most popular companions.
Frazer left the series in 1969 in the ten part story The War Games, which introduced the Time Lords, on The Doctor’s home planet ofGallifrey. It also saw the departures of Wendy Padbury and Patrick Troughton. The Doctor, placed on trial by the High Council of the Time Lords, was forced to regenerate (into Third Doctor Jon Pertwee) and exiled to Earth in the 1970’s – his sentence for contravening the First Law of Time. Sadly, Jamie and Zoe were returned to their respective timelines and their memories were wiped. They would no longer remember the adventures they had shared with The Doctor (almost, but not quite as heart-breaking as Donna Noble’s memory wipe, but I digress…).
Jamie was so beloved that Frazer returned to Doctor Who nearly two decades later. He had an all-too-brief cameo in The Five Doctors 20th Anniversary Special (1983), during the Peter Davison (The Fifth Doctor) era, and he was reunited with Patrick Troughton in The Two Doctors (1986), during the Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor) era. The 10th Doctor (David Tennant) even uses Jamie’s name in Tooth and Claw (2006).
ALL ROADS LEAD BACK
Author Diana Gabaldon revealed her Outlander books were inspired by Frazer’s portrayal on Doctor Who, and that makes this casting news even sweeter.
As a long-time fan of Doctor Who (and a fan of Jamie’s), I keep hoping for an on-screen reunion between Jamie and the current Doctor. We know how The Doctor hates goodbyes and Jamie isn’t supposed to remember him, but come on, there has to a be remedy for the Gallifreyan Memory Wipe surely?
Jamie does make a welcome return in the BBC sanctioned Doctor Who Big Finish Audios, but, like Sarah Jane Smith (played by the late Elisabeth Sladen), he’s one of those companions we keep hoping will crop back up again in the current series.
In the meantime, I look forward to seeing Frazer Hines in future episodes of Outlander.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
For more on the Outlander series of books, visit Diana Gabaldon’ssite.
For more on the Big Finishline of audios, please visit their site.
Social media is buzzing with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The goal is to raise awareness and money for research into Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). ALS is a devastating illness, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There is no cure for the disease. Truthfully, I knew very little about it myself, that is until I heard about this campaign.
FAN FAVORITES TAKE THE PLUNGE
Thanks to celebrities like Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers), subjecting themselves to buckets of ice water poured over their heads, news is spreading like wildfire, and donations are literally pouring in.
Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity, Castle)then went on to challenge Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Thor).Stephen Amell (Arrow) challenged co-star John Barrowan (Arrow, Torchwood, Doctor Who), to take the plunge (insert evil laughter here).
It’s brilliant to watch some of my favorites take up the cause. Not to mention, it’s a great opportunity to see them in wet t-shirts… but I digress…
TAG! YOU’RE IT!
Then Hiddleston went on to challenge Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness), Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter, Dark Shadows) and Luke Evans (The Hobbit).
Next up, Barrowman challenged co-star Colton Haynes (Arrow, Teen Wolf), Misha Collins (Castiel in Supernatural) and David Tennant (The 10th Doctor – Doctor Who). I knew that was coming! I can’t wait to see Tennant’s reaction.
This is getting interesting…
RECOMMENDED LINKS
So far, the campaign has raised more than $15.6 million to raise awareness about this disease and it is building even more momentum – exactly as it was designed to do.
Hold onto your seats, fellow Whovians, we’re only 10 days away from Peter Capaldi’s debut (post-regeneration) as the 12th (or is it 13th?) Doctor.
SERIES 8 OF DOCTOR WHO
That’s right, the Paternoster Gang – Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax (I love them!) – are back, along with dinosaurs (Doctor Who loves dinosaurs going back to the 70’s with Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor) to join the 12th Doctor and Clara (Jenna Coleman) in the series opener Deep Breath!
Capaldi, Coleman and producer Steven Moffat, have been on a world tour promoting Series 8, kicking off in Cardiff, and hitting major cities around the world.
Tomorrow, Thursday, August 14th, they’ll be here in New York City, for a fan screening at the Ziegfeld Theater from 7:30pm to 10pm.
TAKING IN DEEP BREATH
Though I have some insights into the episode Deep Breath, I won’t say what I know at this point, after all, I don’t do spoilers, sweeties. I will say that it offers a marked departure from the Doctor we’ve seen in recent years, and yet brings something familiar to the landscape as well. And with 50+ years of history and 11 actors in the title role before him, Capaldi is certainly skilled enough to fill those awesomely big shoes.
FIRST LOOK
Here’s the official trailer for Deep Breath, airing at 7:50pm on Saturday, August 23rd on BBC One (UK) and at 8 pm (US Eastern Time) on BBC America.Deep Breath will also be screened in select theaters.
I originally wrote this as a Facebook post. More of a rant – a personal reaction. Outrage and sadness driving me.
I was only going to “say it once”, but after receiving so much positive feedback and encouragement from my friends, I realized this may be worth repeating…
THE DEATH OF ROBIN WILLIAMS
I was deeply saddened to hear of Robin Williams’ passing yesterday. A man who, for many of us, felt like a favorite uncle growing up. Someone who encouraged us to be our most authentic selves – always weird and wonderful. Somehow, we think our childhood heroes are indestructible. That they’ll live forever. Alas, they’re just as human and frail as the rest of us.
Most of the world is mourning and celebrating the life of the late Robin Williams today. But I’ve also read some comments which deeply disturbed me.
Speculation on his mental state at the time of his death, and his history of depression and drug use – said with contempt and skepticism – angered me. I am dismayed and deeply disappointed by some of the things I’ve read. While mostly positive in nature, I’ve seen some very unkind, even cruel comments, some questioning his illness and his acts.
Robin had a history of illicit drug use. It was known. Some would say he brought his pain onto himself. I can’t conscience that. Sometimes drugs can cause permanent neurological damage, yes, but more often, they are a symptom, a way of self-medicating and masking the pain. Some say he committed a selfish act.
Regardless of the circumstances, if a man in pain took his life, mourn him, honor his good deeds and good works, and have compassion for him and his family. It isn’t for us to judge.
“That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end.”
― Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation
MENTAL ILLNESS… WHAT IT IS
Depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are physiological disorders. They can cause behavioral, or emotional symptoms, yes, but one can not simply be talked out of having the symptoms, or feelings, associated with these very real physical illnesses.
Just because you cannot see the physical landscape of a person’s brain, and the neurological circuitry that is damaged, with the naked eye, does not make it any less real. You can see someone has a broken arm. You can’t see someone has a broken brain (for lack of a better way of putting it).
What causes mental illness? Most often a genetic predisposition (or physical vulnerability, if you will) often triggered later in life (teens, 20’s, or later) by physical and emotional trauma. It is not a “choice.” In some circumstances, direct injury to the brain, as seen with head trauma from a motor vehicle accident, is the cause.
While talk therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy, can be helpful, it is best in combination with a regimen of medication, to help stabilize the patient’s brain chemistry, and can offer the most effective course of treatment.
Therefore, think carefully before judging someone struggling with a mental illness.
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
How do I know so much about mental illness? I’ve done the research.
Why? I’ve been a caregiver to my mentally ill mother since I was 15 years old. She didn’t choose it. I didn’t choose to be born into a family with a person afflicted. But there it is. It is a daily struggle. For both the person with the illness and those closest to them. That is if most people haven’t abandoned them, as I’ve experienced all too often is the case.
How do you reason, or know to get help, when you don’t know how sick you truly are? If the very neural pathways and structures of the brain that involve reasoning, logic and self awareness or self reflection are compromised? Poor insight, as stated in Xavier Amador’s book, I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! How to Help Someone With Mental Illness Accept Help, is quite common among those identified with psychiatric disorders.
I’m not ashamed of my situation. I used to be. I never told anyone about my mother growing up. It was too embarrassing and painful. I feared I would be judged poorly, or mistreated and rejected (sadly, I wasn’t always wrong). I don’t hide it anymore. It’s part of who I am. I won’t be ashamed, and for my part, I won’t propagate the stigma.
“In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is an enlightened (bodhi) being (sattva). Traditionally, a bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by great compassion…”
AWAKEN THE BODHISATTVA
Mental illness is real. It is a condition. An illness. Like cancer. Or heart disease. It can be treated and it needs to be fully understood. Healthcare and government agencies need to catch up and deal with it.
As a community, we need to break the stigma and deal with it.
It’s time people educated themselves and learned to have some compassion. Think before you speak. The anonymous nature of the internet gives people a false sense of security to spout off without censoring themselves; things they’d never say in public during a face to face confrontation.
Learn from this.
Those who live in glass houses should never throw stones. If you’ve ever experienced that abyss, then turn to someone in pain and HELP them — don’t judge or berate them. Don’t tell them to simply “snap out of it.”
Lastly, thank you for taking the time to read this and letting me share something so personal in the wake of something so tragic.
Ron Moore (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica) is back again, this time as the Executive Producer for the Starz Original SeriesOutlander, starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.
WHAT IT IS
Outlander (not be confused with the 2008 movie of the same name) is based on the series of (currently 8) novels by Diana Gabaldon.Outlander follows the adventures of Claire Randall (Balfe), a World War II combat nurse. While on a trip to Scotland (near Inverness) with her husband Frank (an academic, played by Tobias Menzies), with whom she has only just been reunited after a 5 year absence, Claire manages to fall through time, 200 hundred years into the past. Right place, wrong timezone. That’ll teach her to roam about an ancient mystical site (stone circle and everything), where only hours before a Samhain ritual had been performed.
Sadly for Claire, she ends up smack dab in the middle of the conflict between the British Redcoats and the Scots in 1743 (one of many leading up to the famous and bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746).
Lost and confused, Claire dodges musket fire and an attempted rape at the hands of CaptainBlack Jack Randall, a British soldier and nasty piece of work, who happens to look a good deal like someone from Claire’s past (or is it future?) life… hmmm… (having a Dark Shadowsflashback, but I digress).
KILTS and BODICE RIPPERS
Twice injured and twice saved by Claire, Jamie Fraser (Heughan), a Scottish rebel, is more than just a little grateful. Luckily in helping Jamie, Claire proves herself useful to his clan, saving her own skin in the process. She can use all the allies she can get in this wilderness. Claire is a rational person, but she knows she’s not in 1945 anymore.
Sparks fly from the word go between Claire and Jamie (for some reason the words bodice-ripping come to mind whenever he’s on screen) and one can only hope for some steamy scenes involving the pair (hopefully sooner rather than later, please…).
IMPRESSIONS
I found the pace of the first half of the opening episode a bit sluggish. Thankfully, things pick right up once we’re in 1743. Though I found Claire’s voiceover as a plot device, a bit overused, and even jarring at times, I can forgive it. Hopefully, as the series progresses, there’ll be less of a need to telegraph her thoughts in this manner. I did enjoy the references to Celtic magic and pagan rituals, and hope we’ll be seeing more of that as time goes on.
Outlander has all the makings of a successful drama – romance, conflict, beautiful locations, and a strong heroine in Claire. She’s a woman ahead of her time – in both worlds. Even by today’s standards, Claire is intelligent, skilled, passionate, tough, and outspoken. A formidable woman indeed.
From what I’ve heard, fans of the books can rest easy, as the television adaptation (thus far) seems rather faithful.
For more on the Outlander series of books, visit Diana Gabaldon’ssite.
For a look at the TV series, check out the official Starz trailer below.
Good news Doctor Who fans! Looks like Hulu.com (attempting to become the main hub for British programming) has acquired all seasons of Doctor Who, including classic episodes, lost episodes, specials and prequels, for streaming.
THE BRITISH INVASION
Anglophiles everywhere rejoice! As reported on Mashable.com last Fall, Hulu added more than 150 BBC programs as part of a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide North.
That means not just Doctor Who, but Luther (I love Idris Elba), Fawlty Towers (with John Cleese), The Vicar of Dibley, and more. While the deal isn’t exclusive (you can find these shows on Netflix, AmazonPrime, etc.) you now have more viewing options.
This is good news for me. Netflix only has certain Doctor Who “collections” (containing selected episodes from each season of classic Doctor Who).
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love both outlets, but if you’re looking for every episode of our favorite Time Lord’s adventures, starting with William Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy (Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit) to Matt Smith, Hulu is the place to go.
RETURN LANDING
If you’re a fellow Whovian, or thinking about diving in for the first time, today’s a good day for a Doctor Who Marathon – all in preparation for his return.
Series 8 of Doctor Who starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman premieres Saturday, August 23rd at 8pm on BBC America (US).
Here’s a taste of what’s to come with the Season 8 official trailer.
SylverWhisper 
You must be logged in to post a comment.